Best Skinning knife for $200

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by yycyak

$200? Dude, just use these:



Victorinox paring knife. Orange handle. $10 everywhere.

I've done deer and elk with them. No issues. Don't gouge or pry with it (use your belt knife/utility knife for the heavy stuff.) Stays in my kill kit until the real work needs doing.

You'd Be surprised how many that skin/cape for a living use paring knives like that

[catnthehat]

I have knives I use for butchering. And in the kitchen that are made by custom knifesmith's, one in particular cyrogenitcally treats his blades instead of heat treating.
I don't use them in the field but they are not within the $200 parameters .
Cat

[Demonical]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I made that statement because leather breaks down when it gets wet, A little mink oil and saddle soap will make it last a lot longer than simply neglecting it like you implied.
Cat

Cat, I didn't imply that, I do neglect my leather sheathes, rifle slings etc...

I think I just may have a look at 'freshening up' my leather goods.



Jim

[badbrass]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

You'd Be surprised how many that skin/cape for a living use paring knives like that

Kinda funny! When I got my black bear, took it to a taxidermist as he likes skinning the head and paws out himself. And that's what he used a paring knife! Nice!!!

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by badbrass

Kinda funny! When I got my black bear, took it to a taxidermist as he likes skinning the head and paws out himself. And that's what he used a paring knife! Nice!!!

I hunt with a taxidermist. He uses paring knife in the shop but not in the field.

[badbrass]

Originally Posted by chuck

I hunt with a taxidermist. He uses paring knife in the shop but not in the field.

Ya! I think you would need something a little heavier for field work! Depends what you do in the field? But for the tidiest work yes!

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by badbrass

Kinda funny! When I got my black bear, took it to a taxidermist as he likes skinning the head and paws out himself. And that's what he used a paring knife! Nice!!!

Might even be the odd guide that uses the same as well.....

Don't get me wrong, every guy should have way too much money invested in too many knives (I seem to have that problem), but those little yellow handle knives do a fine job for skinning/caping. Seen some that prefer a filet knife for skinning, but I was never a fan

[bsmitty27]

My favorite knife is the Grohman No.1, carbon flat grind stag horn. I do also enjoy useing bkades with modern steels. But if you look in comercial kitchens, butcher shops you see basic steel, and a couple knives for everything.
Time behind the blade on the stones and on meat makes the difference, not the steel

My2c

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by badbrass

Ya! I think you would need something a little heavier for field work! Depends what you do in the field? But for the tidiest work yes!

My taxidermist buddy does all skinning and gutting with a scalpel. I have even seen him break down bear and deer with it.

You don’t need anything heavy for field work

[badbrass]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

My taxidermist buddy does all skinning and gutting with a scalpel. I have even seen him break down bear and deer with it.

You don’t need anything heavy for field work

True enough! Knowledge though!

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

You'd Be surprised how many that skin/cape for a living use paring knives like that

Using a knife in a controlled environment at fixed heights is a different environment than on the side of a hill in the back country in -25 and snow flurries.
They use those knives because in that environment they are the most efficient/cost effective knives to get the job done. A sous chef uses a 6" chef's knife every day of the week....doesnt mean that's the best knife for a hunter. Different strokes for different folks. Often the knife one chooses is simply because it gives you the fiz. Meaning it just looks right and feels right and gives you a pride of ownership even if its maybe not the most efficient or best design ect... much like coil I choose designs based on pure functionality and ease of use( if they look great, that's just cherry) I want a blade that cuts with no effort doesnt force me to hold awkward angles in order to keep the blade cutting. Makes use of the entire blade through its slice, and fits my hand well and doesnt cause strain. I want a blade that will get sharp and stay sharp.

As for the op knife choice us very personal one that works for me might ( small hands) be terrible for your big mit ( if you have big hands). Imo it's very hard to find a factory blade that meets these parameters. The closest I have found so far for me are a sog sv30 huntspoint skinner and boning knives...they hold a crazy edge, they just don't give perfection in some of the efficiency columns..
Personally for deer I often find myself just using a vitorinox hunter xt. With main blade saw and zip blade...but I don't skin with it just field dress.

If I had $$for a new blade I would look at croils knife and reverse engineer to what would be perfect for me.

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[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

Using a knife in a controlled environment at fixed heights is a different environment than on the side of a hill in the back country in -25 and snow flurries.
They use those knives because in that environment they are the most efficient/cost effective knives to get the job done. A sous chef uses a 6" chef's knife every day of the week....doesnt mean that's the best knife for a hunter. Different strokes for different folks. Often the knife one chooses is simply because it gives you the fiz. Meaning it just looks right and feels right and gives you a pride of ownership even if its maybe not the most efficient or best design ect... much like coil I choose designs based on pure functionality and ease of use( if they look great, that's just cherry) I want a blade that cuts with no effort doesnt force me to hold awkward angles in order to keep the blade cutting. Makes use of the entire blade through its slice, and fits my hand well and doesnt cause strain. I want a blade that will get sharp and stay sharp.

As for the op knife choice us very personal one that works for me might ( small hands) be terrible for your big mit ( if you have big hands). Imo it's very hard to find a factory blade that meets these parameters. The closest I have found so far for me are a sog sv30 huntspoint skinner and boning knives...they hold a crazy edge, they just don't give perfection in some of the efficiency columns..
Personally for deer I often find myself just using a vitorinox hunter xt. With main blade saw and zip blade...but I don't skin with it just field dress.

If I had $$for a new blade I would look at croils knife and reverse engineer to what would be perfect for me.

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There may be the odd ram or two caped in some pretty remote areas. I may have misworded and made it sound like I was only talking taxidermists.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by badbrass

True enough! Knowledge though!

Knowledge on how to go about things is far more valuable then any knife that is for sure. I will say without hesitation I have found way more value in what I have been taught by a good number of skilled people then any knife

Personally I could not justify spending $100 let alone $200 and I have tried a good portion of the knives listed

For basic skinning I find most over use a knife as well. But to each their own and as long as you get the job done in the end that is what matters

[sns2]

Originally Posted by chuck

I hunt with a taxidermist. He uses paring knife in the shop but not in the field.

What’s he use in the field?

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sns2

What’s he use in the field?

Basically the same setup as I have.

[CanuckShooter]

If you have a knife that you can gut/skin a bear three elk and six deer....and still shave with it you had better hang onto it.

What exactly is it?

[chasingtail]

$30 Victorinox is good enough for all the big meat plants it’s good enough for me.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by chasingtail

$30 Victorinox is good enough for all the big meat plants it’s good enough for me.

Looks like he has it figured out with a filet knife

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTPMUAn-ZCE

[Phil McCracken]

For skinning purposes, I simply use a good old CT utility knife. One blade will do a moose. And as most know, utility blades are very cheap.

Been doing that for the past 15+ years.

Browning has a knife model with disposable blades, which utility blades will fit. Handle more comfortable than a standard utility knife...

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

If you have a knife that you can gut/skin a bear three elk and six deer....and still shave with it you had better hang onto it.

What exactly is it?

It was the second from the top on this pic. All of these are long since sold and are being enjoyed by others. One of which is owned by a member here.





Pick your poison though from Dozier or Crotts and you’ll find the same level of performance. It wasn’t specific to that knife, I just chose to use that knife that year.

I settled on these two in the end and I’m satisfied. I haven’t been looking for anything new for a few years now. Well, except for a larger filleting knife but that’s in the works now.





I finish mine at 25 microns on a DMT “fine” stone then a few (like two or three) light passes across a leather strop loaded with five micron diamond paste. I believe the relatively rough edge gives me higher cutting aggression then a finely polished edge. It’s still apexed properly and shaves like a razor but it’s not highly polished. I may amend that procedure with the S90v being as it’s got a finer steel matrix with smaller carbides but that will have to wait until I start hunting again and put it through a few animals. For D2 I still like the sharpening regime I’ve got and the performance it provides.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by chuck

This looks like a heck of a knife! But with a three year wait, what’s the point?

http://www.dozierknives.com/index.ph...=article&id=40

You can buy those from Agrussels every day of the week for about $220. It’s generic black micarta but they’re available. EBay has a beauty with stag scales right now, Arizona custom knives has a few too and dozier’s website update their featured inventory frequently. They’re around if you look.

Of the doziers the yps is my favourite, which is why I’ve got one.



Isn’t that Ingram you’ve got in the same class? I had my name on his list a few years back for a pair but by the time my turn came around I had already discovered the Crotts semi skinner and wasn’t interested in buying another knife.

[Dean2]

So Coiloil37

After deciding to give one of these super knives a try I have been doing a fair amount of research and trying to learn. I have a question. You claim the D2 knives you have from Crotts and Dozier have far superior edge holding capability. I have studied the chart you provided, read a bunch of stuff on Phil Wilson's site as well as other links you and they provided. I fail to understand how D2 steel accomplishes this when all the test results say S30V hold its edge longer at the same hardness. See the chart you provided below which show D2 at 500, S30V at 600 and S90V at nearly 800. What is it about the D2 steel treatment Crotts uses that makes his steel so much better than regular D2. I don't understand how his D2 steel knives would have superior edge holding to a quality s30V knife from a quality maker like Buck knives. Also, if D2 is so great why did you choose to make your last knife out of S90V, which has even higher edge retention scores than S30V. I know there is a good reason, I just don't understand it. Thanks for your help.

[sns2]

When I went to House of Knives, I took pics of their steel reference charts. May be helpful to some...




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[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by sns2

When I went to House of Knives, I took pics of their steel reference charts. May be helpful to some...




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It's important to look at all of those ratings, I have a couple of friends that purchased knives based solely on edge retension, and both end up taking their knives to someone else to sharpen, because they couldn't get a good edge on them.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

It's important to look at all of those ratings, I have a couple of friends that purchased knives based solely on edge retension, and both end up taking their knives to someone else to sharpen, because they couldn't get a good edge on them.

Angles… It makes a big difference no matter what steel is being used. Too much angle, not enough angle etc will all have an effect on edge retention and depending on the primary job of the tool, the angle should be different for maximum ability.

[Demonical]

Shoot a deer skin a deer...

Holy crap the over-analysis that this thread has caused.

Crazy.

A ****ing $5 knife is every bit as good as the so-called $200 knife, which who the hell would spend $200 on a knife for skinning deer??

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

It's important to look at all of those ratings, I have a couple of friends that purchased knives based solely on edge retension, and both end up taking their knives to someone else to sharpen, because they couldn't get a good edge on them.

Elk, you already know this but to be clear for others reading the thread; A good diamond sharpener of the correct grits or Silicon Carbide stone along with the correct technique, you can sharpen any knife at home. The biggest issue most guys have with hard steels is having the right stone and maintaining exactly the right angle. If they can't sharpen a hard knife, the edge they will put on a softer blade won't be great either. There is a reason so many Lansky type sharpeners are sold, they turn the average guy into a pro with very little practice.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Demonical

Shoot a deer skin a deer...

Holy crap the over-analysis that this thread has caused.

Crazy.

A ****ing $5 knife is every bit as good as the so-called $200 knife, which who the hell would spend $200 on a knife for skinning deer??

...

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Demonical

Shoot a deer skin a deer...

Holy crap the over-analysis that this thread has caused.

Crazy.

A ****ing $5 knife is every bit as good as the so-called $200 knife, which who the hell would spend $200 on a knife for skinning deer??

We get it already. You throw your junk in a bag and go hunting. We got that. No one told you that you use shtty stuff, so why do you feel the need to tell us that $200 or more on a tool that will last a lifetime , and can then be passed down to others, is beyond me. Now take your negative crap elsewhere.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Demonical

Shoot a deer skin a deer...

Holy crap the over-analysis that this thread has caused.

Crazy.

A ****ing $5 knife is every bit as good as the so-called $200 knife, which who the hell would spend $200 on a knife for skinning deer??

Well in that case, save the 5 bucks and sharpen a piece of rock. That is how they did it in the good old days. While you are at it, forget the gun, make a spear too!

If you don't like a thread you aren't obligated to post on it. Some of us enjoy figuring out how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Others, $200 isn't really much money, they get to have fun too. No one pooped all over you for the gear you use and take no care of, give others the same respect. Hope you have a great New Year and get your happy back.

Oops - I see SNS2 was typing at the same time as I was.